Superior Dairy Brings Back the Flattop

(Image courtesy of the New York Times)

The common milk jug has been in the marketplace for quite a while, so it’s not surprising that its redesign would cause some reservations among consumers, but Canton, Ohio-based Superior Dairy and its offshoot Design Edge, felt the need to take the task on nonetheless.  Working in the company founded by his ancestors five generations ago, Greg Soehnlen redesigned the jug by extending the flat sides upward, flattening the top, and moving the pour spout to the corner opposite the handle.  These refinements have eliminated the need for plastic crates for storage and transportation, as the new jugs may be stacked on top of one another with shrinkwrapped cardboard bands (all to be recycled afterwards) in between, which has had the added benefits that water is no longer needed for cleaning crates, labor is reduced, and more milk may be delivered by each truck (4.5 gallons/cubic foot instead of 3) in a much shorter time frame.  In fact, Superior claims that they have cut overall water use by up to 70%, and due to the jug’s efficiency, can make less delivery trips to retail locations, and thus reduce fuel consumption.

In spite of some complaints that one has to learn a new way to pour from these jugs due to the different spout, Superior’s jug may be taking hold, having been sold at Sam’s Club in limited quantities for some time already, and poised for wider distribution at Wal-Mart and beyond - who knows, it might even show up at your local supermarket sooner than you think, considering the direct correlation it has with lower fuel consumption.  Examples like this make clear that as resources become more scarce and skyrocket in value, manufacturers and retailers will be forced to develop smarter solutions to packaging, and pass along the sustainable and cost benefits to their well-informed consumers.  As Sustainable Packaging Coalition director, Anne Johnson suggests, “What are the materials we are using? How are we using them? And where do they go ultimately?” will be some common questions that we will get used to asking in the years to come.

Sustainable Packaging Coalition

A Great Idea from Moixa Energy Limited

London-based Moixa Energy has developed a NiMH battery that can be recharged using the innate electricity generating power of a computer’s (or monitor’s, game console’s, etc) USB ports, with an embedded LED indicator to reflect status of charge. Currently, the AA cell is the only model available, but the company will soon expand their product line to include AAA, C, D, 9V, and even specialized batteries for cell phones and PDAs. In their “Environment and Recycling FAQs” page, Moixa even speak to the environmental impact of the packaging in which the batteries are shipped, how the cardboard itself is recyclable, and that they are in the process of finding a biodegradable replacement (PLA perhaps?) for the plastic blister pack.

The USBCELL certainly represents a great step forward in making sensible electronics-based products with lower environmental impact, and for that, Moixa Energy won both a Gold award at the 2008 iF Product Design Awards, and a 2008 New Energy Award. However, it is important to keep in mind that for American consumers, the batteries still have a certain carbon footprint due to their shipment from the UK, which is an issue all too common to the majority of consumer electronics today, which are manufactured beyond our borders (that is, until the onset of a substantial U.S.-based green technology sector). Although less environmentally toxic than NiCd (Nickel Cadmium) batteries, it is still important to ensure that USBCELLs be properly disposed of when no longer useful. Moixa Energy will even accept USBCELLs purchased from USBCELL.com back via a freepost address, and one may visit Earth911.com’s Battery Recycling resource page for some great tips on how to recycle those bought elsewhere, as well as links describing the range of battery technologies.

Crate and Barrel Releases Their “Eco” Line

Crate and Barrel has released several new products that promise to be a step in the eco-friendly direction. Slogans such as “Introducing more eco-friendly upholstery, without more expense” can be seen in their product ads. As a major distributor of housewares caught in the sustainability wave, they’ve been trying to minimize waste for some time now. From 2001-02 they worked with their stores to discontinue the use of petroleum-based foam peanuts for packaging. In April of 06 they successfully discontinued the use of foam peanuts was company-wide. In 2002, Crate and Barrel eliminated foam-in-place as a packing material.

Last year, Crate and Barrel made its vendors discontinue the use of white bleached shipping cartons. Their shopping bags for the holiday season in 07 were up to 30% post-consumer recycled material and were printed using water-based inks. In addition, the protective tissue used for shopping bags and boxes is made with 70% post-consumer waste fibers.

The Geämi Material system that they currently use for packaging employes a process where a special sheet of paper is put through a machine that expands it, cutting down on shipping costs and allowing their stores to only use what they need while saving storage space. For another innovative packaging material, see the Expandos system.